Oishinbo

Synopsis

In summer, Yamaoka and the culture division visit Kyoto for the Gion festival, and dine on botan hamo (peony-shaped conger pike). On the return journey he buys some blue mackerel sushi for a friend, but the groups eat half of it on the train. They arrive in Tokyo and discover that it was for Mr. Tojin's wife, Ryoko. Ryoko makes some herself to cover the loss, but it makes Mr. Tojin ill because the fish spoils easily in summer. Yamaoka investigates and discovers that Ms. Ryoko uses distilled rather than brewed vinegar which did not effectively preserve the fish. Yamaoka offers to salvage the situation and takes Ryoko and Kurita to Kagoshima to meet Mr. Takenoshina, a master black vinegar maker. He explains the difference between black and white vinegar, and shows them his traditional method of making the mild black vinegar called kurozu (黒酢), in rows of pots outdoors where the warmth of the sun promotes the fermentation process. The group return to Tokyo where Yamaoka demonstrates his method of preparing mackerel sushi, filleting and pickling the fish, adding rice, rolling it in kombu and slicing it up to serve. Later, Ryoko makes a delicious new batch of mackerel sushi for Tōjin and he forgives her earlier mistake.

(Source: Wikipedia)